Loe raamatut: «Ranch Refuge»

ONE

Laura Jackson quickened her pace as she headed for her car. The parking lot had been full of activity when she’d arrived for work at the River City Medical Center at seven this morning, but now, after a nearly sixteen-hour shift, the employee parking lot was all but deserted. Her car sat in the back of the lot, along with a handful of other vehicles of shift workers, abandoned for the night.

The streetlamps illuminated a scattered area of the dark lot, but her car was on the back row, past the safety of the bright lights. Although she’d initially toyed with the idea of calling the security office for an escort, she’d opted against it because she hadn’t felt like waiting for them to arrive. She was ready to get home, into her own bed, and try to get some rest. Wiping away a trickle of sweat from her brow, Laura hiked her backpack up on her shoulder as she crossed the parking lot. The Louisiana summer night was muggy and added to the lethargy she was already feeling. As an ER nurse, she was accustomed to the long shifts at the hospital, used to operating on only a few hours of sleep, but lately something else had been keeping her up, even on her nights off work.

She stopped short when a man stepped from between two rows of cars. He nodded at her, then leaned against the back of a truck, seemingly paying her no more attention. He was tall and good-looking, dressed in boots and jeans, and, even without a hat on his head, she could tell he was a cowboy. Laura continued past him, her senses on high alert for anything suspicious. As she walked past, she felt his eyes follow her, watching as she neared her car.

She readied her keys, prepared to do battle against him if necessary. She hated how her mind automatically moved toward evil intentions. A few weeks ago she might have smiled flirtatiously at the ruggedly handsome cowboy or confronted the man and demanded to know why he was lurking around the parking lot. But that was before the notes began...before the late-night visits from Chuck Randall and his goon squad...before she’d learned her father had done the unthinkable and promised loan sharks and bookies that Laura would cover his gambling debts. Was this cowboy one of those men who’d come to try to collect from her? She’d made herself clear. She wasn’t paying. And she certainly wasn’t interested in anything else Randall wanted from her, either.

Laura hit the button on her key fob and the lights on her car flashed. The cowboy moved, approaching her as headlights from another car in the lot flickered on and an engine revved loudly. She glanced at the car and saw it roar from its parking space and head her way.

Laura ran for her car, fumbling with her keys as the car sped toward her. The keys slipped through her fingers and hit the ground. She reached down to grab them and suddenly the cowboy was upon her, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the way as the vehicle barreled past her.

Heart hammering in her chest, she hit the hood of a parked car with a thud and heard tires screeching behind her. She scrambled to her feet to see the cowboy pull a gun from his belt and aim it at the vehicle that was turning back toward them.

“The black pickup. Go now!” he shouted at her.

But Laura stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the vehicle barreling toward them.

“Laura, move now!” The cowboy punctuated his words by firing several shots at the approaching car.

Oh, God, help me!

She couldn’t move. Paralyzed with fear, she could barely drag in her next breath. This can’t be happening... It just can’t be.

The cowboy sprinted in front of the oncoming car and grabbed her, once again pulling her out of the way just in time. He fired off a couple more shots as the vehicle screeched to a halt and then he gripped her arm and pulled her alongside him, his stride brisk and determined.

Laura tried to wrench herself free from his iron grasp as he headed toward the black pickup. Safety lessons rushed through her mind about getting into cars with strangers. She wouldn’t go with these men...refused to let Randall win. “Let me go! What do you want with me? I don’t have anything of value. Please! Just let me go.”

He stopped and loosened his grip on her arm. His sharp features softened as he turned his warm, brown gaze to her, his eyes reflecting urgency. “I’m here to help you.”

He was trying to rescue her. Maybe he wasn’t one of Randall’s men.

She looked at the car headed their way. Those were Randall’s men. She was certain of it. But something about this stranger was different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what, but she saw more than strength in his square jaw and rock-hard physique. He had kindness in his face. Should she take a chance that he was one of the good guys? What choice did she really have?

He turned and fired toward the thugs again, hitting the windshield. The car swerved and smashed into a row of parked vehicles. “Get in the truck now,” he commanded.

This time Laura did as she was told. She pulled open the passenger door and hurried inside. The cowboy slid into the driver’s seat, gunned the engine and took off. Laura scrambled to find the seat belt and buckle it as they raced away from the would-be abduction.

She glanced back to see that the car was following them, but the cowboy—her rescuer now—pressed down hard on the accelerator and took off. His shoulders were tight, his jaw tense, yet his composure remained calm, cool, self-assured. She had the feeling he knew what he was doing and hadn’t happened upon her by accident.

“Hold on,” he instructed as he slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel, causing her to slide toward him. The seat belt locked and she was yanked back in the opposite direction. Laura grabbed hold of the dash and tried to hang on. She wasn’t complaining. Anything to keep free of Randall and his crazy obsession with her!

He gunned the engine again as the car came alongside them and the man in the backseat pulled out a gun.

“Get down!” her cowboy shouted, pushing her head down as shots rang out, dinging the truck and smashing the side window behind him. “Get on the floor!”

She unbuckled her seat belt and crouched on the floorboard as another shot whizzed past her and hit the passenger door.

He jerked the steering wheel and Laura heard metal crunch metal as he smashed into the side of the car, pushing it onto the shoulder and off the road before maneuvering the truck back onto the road, never once taking his foot off the accelerator.

Laura peered out the back window and saw the car on its side in a ditch and several men scrambling from the vehicle. “You did it. They’re not chasing us.”

He nodded curtly. “They’ll regroup and be back.”

Relief flooded her, then the startling realization that Randall had indeed sent men after her. She’d tried ignoring his threats and his advances, but it had done no good. If it wasn’t for this handsome stranger, who knew where she might be now or what Randall would demand of her.

She stared at him as he concentrated on the road. His rugged jawline and profile seemed the embodiment of strength and courage. She wasn’t afraid of this man, but she had no logical reason not to be. She didn’t know him, yet she’d jumped into a truck with him. He’d swooped in like a hero in an action flick and rescued her.

“How did you know they were going to try to kidnap me?” she asked.

He turned his chocolate-brown eyes her way and her toes tingled at his gaze. However, his next words stopped her cold.

“Because I’ve been following you, Laura.”

* * *

Colton didn’t let up on the accelerator as he sped down the highway. He was less concerned about getting a speeding ticket than he was about getting Laura to safety.

She pressed herself against the passenger door, her hands shaking and her expression morphing from one of acceptance and gratitude to confusion and fear at his words.

“You...you were following me? Who are you? What do you want with me? And how do you know my name?” Her green eyes were wide with fear and her lips pressed hard into a line.

He gripped the steering wheel. “I don’t want anything from you. I just saved your life. Those men were going to abduct you.”

“And what were you doing? Why were you following me?”

“I was trying to help you.” He saw the terror written across her pretty face and his gut clenched. He’d seen that expression too many times before during his deployment as an army ranger when his team had arrived out of the blue with guns and orders. But this wasn’t Afghanistan and he hadn’t brandished his weapon at her. And he was no longer taking orders from anyone.

He’d met her father in Gamblers Anonymous and seen a man who was where he used to be. When Bill had confided that his daughter was in danger, Colton had offered his expertise. “I was only following you so I could be on the lookout. I figured Randall would send men after you. I just didn’t know who or when. I wanted to be close by when they appeared. I’m not going to hurt you, Laura. I’m here to help.”

A cautious relief flowed over her as she sat straight and tall on the seat, her auburn hair tumbling from its ponytail, soft wisps falling around her pale face. “I appreciate what you did tonight. You can drop me at the closest convenience store and I’ll call someone to come and pick me up.”

He grinned, having already summed up her type from shadowing her over the past two days. No gushy gratitude from this lady. She was set and determined to take care of herself. He admired that. She was a strong woman, but even strong women sometimes needed help. “Who?”

“Excuse me?”

“Who are you going to call to come get you?”

Her eyes widened as if surprised that he would ask and she took on an indignant tone. “I don’t see how that’s your business.”

“I just rescued you from kidnappers. I’d hate to have wasted my time only to have them find you now.”

A flush of anger crept over her face at his unwillingness to stop. “I appreciate your stepping in tonight, but I must insist you stop the truck and let me out. Now.”

He understood her frustration, but he also wasn’t going to allow her to walk right back into a dangerous situation. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Laura.”

“Again...how do you know my name?”

“I know all about you. My name is Colton Blackwell, in case you’re interested.”

“Thank you, I’m very interested. Now I know who to tell the police abducted me.”

He flashed another grin, enjoying her quick wit. She was smart. He liked that. “You’re not my prisoner.”

“Then stop the truck and let me go.”

“Think of this less as an abduction and more like protective custody.”

“Are you a cop?” she asked.

“Nope. I’m a cattle farmer.”

“A cattle farmer? Really? So a cattle farmer has kidnapped me and placed me in protective custody?”

He nodded grimly. “I’d say that’s a fair assessment of what’s happening.”

She pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her scrub top. “I’m calling the police.”

He couldn’t allow that, either. He snatched the phone from her hand and tossed it out the open window.

“Hey, that’s my phone!”

“They can use that to track you. Better safe than sorry,” he said, keeping his eyes trained on the road. “I’m taking you to my ranch in Compton. It’s about an hour’s drive. My buddy is the sheriff there. I’ll have him meet us and you can explain to him what happened.”

She reluctantly sat back in the seat and her manner softened. “Look, Colton, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but what good can a small-town sheriff in Compton do? No one can help me.”

“I trust him. He’ll be able to help.”

“This is not your problem. It’s mine.”

Her knew her story and saw the truth on her beautiful but sad face. It was a heavy burden she was carrying.

But she no longer had to shoulder it alone.

* * *

The hum of the highway and the soft sound of country music spilling from the radio greeted Laura as she awoke. The cab of the truck was dark except for the lights of the dash. She rubbed sleep from her eyes, surprised that she’d nodded off so easily. She shouldn’t be surprised. She hadn’t slept well in more than two weeks, not since she’d discovered the predicament her father had placed her in. She’d found herself triple-checking the doors of her apartment and even then sleeping fitfully in case someone tried to break in. But tonight, in the cab of Colton Blackwell’s pickup truck, she’d slept soundly.

She stared at the black road stretching out in front of them, lit only by the bright lights of the truck. “Where are we?”

“About twenty minutes from my ranch in Compton, Louisiana.”

She took a good long look at the man who had been her rescuer tonight. His face was sharp and angled and the stubble on his face appeared as rough-and-tumble as he seemed to be.

She turned away her eyes. She shouldn’t be examining any part of this cattle rancher except his intentions toward her. “Why were you following me?”

“I heard you were in trouble. Whenever I hear of someone in trouble, I try to help if I can.”

“What makes you think you can help me?”

“It’s kind of what I do, Laura. I used to be an army ranger. When I got out of the service, I looked around for something else I would be good at. This is where my skills lie, so I try to lend a hand if I hear of someone in trouble. Think of me as your very own private security.”

“But how did you know I was in trouble? Who told you about me?”

“Your father told me about your predicament. He was worried someone might be after you. It looks like he was right to be worried.”

“My father hired you? I don’t think so. He doesn’t have any money. He can’t afford to pay you.”

“I didn’t ask for anyone to pay me.” He shrugged. “I only want to continue to protect and serve.”

She sat, tense, uncertain what to do. On the one hand, Colton had saved her from a kidnapping. Those men had undoubtedly belonged to Randall. In his last communication with her, he’d told her he was tired of waiting. But on the other hand, Colton was a stranger and just another man making assurances to her he might not keep. How could she trust him?

He turned off the road and Laura saw a two-story ranch house appear in the headlights. As they approached, she glimpsed a barn off to one side and a large metal shop to the other side. He parked in front of the house and cut the engine.

“I know you don’t know me, but I really do just want to help keep you safe, Laura. This isn’t my first time involved in something like this, and I’m good at what I do. You’ll be protected here, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She glanced around at the house and barn. No one else appeared to be around. There were no other cars in the driveway and no lights on inside the house, but she did hear the sound of dogs barking in the distance. They were all alone out here together. If circumstances were different, she knew she could be in real trouble. She was reminded of one of those movies that claimed that no one would hear you scream.

Still, she couldn’t be too careful. “I want to call my father.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. No one knows you’re here and I’d like to keep it that way. That means you don’t call friends, family or coworkers. Those men will keep searching for you. Don’t make it easy for them to track you down.” He slid from the truck and walked around to open her door.

Laura slid from the truck and let him lead her toward the house. Everything he said made sense, but his words had dual meaning. If no one knew where she was, then no one would know what had happened to her if Colton Blackwell turned out to not be what he seemed.

He flipped on light switches as he entered the house, illuminating simple yet comfortable furnishings. It wasn’t fancy, but Laura wasn’t used to fancy.

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes. I bought this place two years ago, after I left the service.”

She spotted a photograph on the mantel of Colton with a group of men all in uniform. “You said you were a ranger. Was this your unit?”

He nodded, but a terse look crossed his face. “It was.”

She saw his pained expression before he pushed it away. She recognized that look. She’d seen it many times during her stint as a nurse in the ER. It was the look of someone whose loved one had passed away. She’d heard about the Army Rangers and knew the work they did was dangerous. He’d lost men, probably one or more of the men in the photograph, and probably in battle.

“The one on the end is Blake Michaels. He’s the deputy sheriff I told you about.” Colton started for the staircase. “I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

He opened a door at the top of the stairs and Laura looked around at the simple bed, dresser and chair. It wasn’t fancy, but it was cozy and clean. She glanced at the dresser drawers and realized she had nothing to put inside them. She hadn’t had time to pack a bag and her extra scrubs were in her backpack, which she assumed was now lying abandoned in the hospital’s employee parking lot.

“You’ll have your own private bathroom,” Colton continued, motioning toward a closed door. “There should be some extra toothbrushes in the cabinet and we’ll go into town tomorrow to buy whatever else you think you might need.”

He kept extra toothbrushes? That meant this wasn’t the first time he’d intervened to help someone. It seemed to confirm what he’d told her in the truck. “I take it I’m not the first person you’ve helped to stay in this room.”

He stared at her, his brown eyes filled with dismay. “You don’t trust much, do you?”

His words were true if unwelcome. “I’ve never had much reason to trust easily.”

“Well, you can trust me, Laura.”

She wanted to believe that, but she’d been burned too many times before.

“I’ve already moved my stuff downstairs. I’ll be sleeping on the couch while you’re here, so you’ll have the entire upstairs. If you need anything, holler.”

After he left, Laura locked the bedroom door. She glanced around at the room. This was her safe haven for now. No one knew where she was or what had happened to her. A phone sat on the end table and she considered phoning her father to let him know she was safe, but she decided against it. Would her father worry about her? A part of her was happy to think that he might spend a few restless nights fretting about her. Or would he simply assume she’d taken care of his debt? No, Colton had said her father had been the one to hire him. He was trying to fix the mess he’d gotten her into.

It was small consolation.

She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her if Colton Blackwell hadn’t been there. And, despite the fact that she didn’t know if she could really trust him, she was thankful for his help.

* * *

Colton headed downstairs. He felt better having Laura under his roof. If anyone was coming after her, they would have to face him on his own turf.

He hated how distrustful she seemed, unwilling to believe that anyone would want to help her without asking for something in return. She was clearly so used to being disappointed that she couldn’t imagine things going any other way.

God, please help her to believe that I only want to protect her. And grant me the strength and discernment to keep her safe from harm.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Bill Jackson’s number, his stomach turning as he made the call. This was the man who had caused Laura so much pain and grief. It was too real seeing the pain in her face. He knew that look. Oh, how well he knew that look.

“It’s me,” he said when Bill answered. “I have her. She’s safe.”

He listened to the rush of thanks and gratitude from the other end but soon cut him off. He hadn’t intervened for this man’s sake, regardless of how thankful he was. He’d done it for Laura and to make up in some way for the mistakes he’d made. Laura Jackson represented to him every person his own gambling addiction had hurt. If he could keep her safe, maybe he could make up for his past, even if just a little.

* * *

Laura’s mind raced. Sleep was impossible. Thoughts of the night’s events kept playing over and over again, reminding her that she was in a stranger’s home. How had she just gotten into the man’s truck and driven away with him? Away from everything and everyone familiar to her? Yes, she’d been under attack. Those men had been out to get her. But how did she know Colton Blackwell wasn’t one of Randall’s men, as well? For all she knew, his intervention had been planned, premeditated, to get her right where Randall wanted her—alone, frightened, vulnerable...and looking for a hero.

She stopped that line of thinking before she made herself crazy. Randall’s men had been after her and Colton had rescued her. She’d acted on instinct, going along with him because she’d had no choice. But that didn’t mean she had to remain with him now that the moment of danger had passed.

She picked up the phone to call for help, then realized she had no idea where she was...except for the city. Compton. That was, of course, assuming he’d been telling her the truth. She couldn’t trust him. After all, the only thing she knew about Colton Blackwell was that he’d said he had been watching her. What if he was worse than Randall? There was no telling what this man wanted from her.

Certainly she’d been acting purely on adrenaline before. But now that she’d had plenty of time to digest what was happening, she realized she had to get away from him. Now. Tonight. She would sneak out and flag down a car for help.

She slipped back into her shoes and quietly unlocked the bedroom door. Opening it softly, she walked to the top of the stairs and peeked down. The house looked dark except for the dim light above the kitchen range. She glanced at the sofa bed where Colton said he would be sleeping and saw a figure wrapped in a blanket. Now was her time to escape—while he was asleep. Hopefully she would be well out of his grasp before he awakened in the morning.

She tiptoed across the floor and quietly pulled open the door.

“Don’t move!” Colton hollered, leaping from the sofa bed and pointing a gun at her.

“Please don’t hurt me,” Laura cried out. Her heart raced with fear at the sight of Colton’s gun trained on her. This only confirmed what she’d been afraid of: Colton Blackwell was not her friend.

He flipped on the light and the intensity of his expression fell. “Laura, I nearly shot you.” Lowering the gun, he rasped, “What are you doing?”

She pressed herself against the door and tried to breathe. No telling what he might do to her now that he’d caught her trying to sneak away. Would he continue with the charade of trying to protect her? She struggled to find her voice against the rapid shaking of her muscles. “Please, just let me go. I won’t tell anyone who you are.” Tears streamed down her face. “Please. I just want to go home.”

His expression softened and he nodded. “Okay, Laura. Okay.” He placed the gun on the table and then turned to her. “I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to help you.”

But all the reasons why she couldn’t trust him kept flittering through her mind. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know his intentions. How could she really believe him? And why would someone like him want to help someone like her?

He gave a resigned sigh. “Let’s try this another way.” He grabbed the truck keys from the end table and held them out to her. “Take these. Take the truck. Take my phone. Call your father and confirm my story, but don’t tell him where you are. If he knows, Randall could force him to tell.” He pulled cash from his wallet. “Take this money. Find a hotel and hole up there for a few days. But don’t go home, Laura. You’re not safe at home.”

The keys shook in her hand. “You...you’re letting me go?”

“You’re not my prisoner. If you don’t want my protection, fine. I get it. You don’t know me. If this is the only way you’ll allow me to help you, then take it.”

She turned and ran to the truck, certain he would be right behind her to stop her, certain this was all a sick trick to make her trust him. But he was offering her a way out and she was going to take it.

She climbed into the truck and started the engine. Colton was still on the porch, standing, watching her, making no move to stop her. She jammed the truck into gear and sped up the drive. She saw him in the mirror, still watching, making no move to stop her or to follow her.

She stopped at the end of the drive. The house was no longer visible and the darkness of the road stretched in front of her. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do. Her pulse was slowing; fear of the unknown replacing her need to flee. If she left Colton, she had no idea what she was getting into. Randall and his men were still coming for her, and if they’d tried to abduct her once, they would do it again.

She leaned against the steering wheel as confusion confounded her. Was it really possible that Colton was just who he’d said he was and that all he wanted was to help her? All she knew for certain was that bad men were after her and that Colton had done nothing but protect her from them.

She glanced at his cell phone on the seat beside her. Colton had said her father had hired him and that would be easy enough to confirm. She picked up his phone and recognized her dad’s number listed under his recent calls.

She pressed the number and waited. He answered on the third ring.

“Dad, something happened tonight.”

“I know, Laura. Colton already called me. Are you okay, honey?”

“I—I don’t know. Who is this guy, Dad? How do I know I can trust him?”

There was a long pause. “You can trust him, Laura. I believe he really wants to help.”

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she snapped. “I can’t believe you did this to me.”

She heard the catch in his voice as he rushed to apologize. “Laura, I’m sorry. I never thought this would happen.”

She caught herself before she said what she was really thinking. You never thought about me, only about yourself.

“Well, it’s a little too late for regrets now, don’t you think?”

“Laura, please, I—”

Satisfied that the army ranger had indeed been hired by her father and unwilling to stomach any more of Bill Jackson’s lame excuses, Laura clicked off the phone.